JustTryingToLive

Hey guys, tis the season to change to the soft top, the only question I have is that I store my hardtop outside under a tarp for the summer and I've seen to get a little bit of some mold, any idea how to prevent this? Any tips would help, thanks

toolow262

To prevent mold you need to prevent moisture from building under the tarp. The best place to leave it would be in a shaded area (preventing heat will help prevent moisture) for all or as much of the day as possible (especially mid day when the sun is the hottest). Other than that you will want to keep the tarp lifted above the top not laying directly on it and the hardtop off the ground, one way to do this is to grab a few 2x4's from a local lumber shop and throw together a simple frame (be sure to elevate the center to allow water to run off). Once in a while when the weather is good open the tarp to allow air flow or install several vents in the tarp if you intend to purchase a higher quality tarp/cover for long term use (should be able to find cover vents at a marine or canvas shop). Lastly check often for the presence of mold and change the plan as necessary.

JustTryingToLive

thanks for the reply, i built a frame to keep it off the ground, its mostly in the shade for a good portion of the day. i will work on things accordingly.

yo_marc

This might have been a freak thing to happen to me.. but I would advise blocking up the holes for the rear wiper wiring.

I had a mouse get in there, and make a nest up inside the hardtop (where the wiring is). Worst part is, apparently it wandered down to the C or D pillar and was unable to get back up. It died in there. I didn't know this until I put the hard top on the Jeep after a summer off. It smelled horrible every time I put the windows down and air would circulate. I was fortunately in that I was able to fish it out.

Krashkource

I built a harness to hang my hard top from a support beam in my garage. I simply park the front of my Jeep under it and when I want to re-install it I just lower it into place. This was a much better solution that placing it on the ground or on a dolly since I gained back all the space it normally takes up. The entire rig I built cost around 20 bucks for all the hardware and its now easy enough that I can install or remove the top without assistance from anybody else. There are some kits available to do this but they can be somewhat expensive if you are interested in buying a pre-made version.